VZCZCXRO7916
PP RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA RUEHLN
RUEHLZ RUEHNP RUEHPOD RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHMO #3386 3291134
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 241134Z NOV 08
FM AMEMBASSY MOSCOW
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0856
INFO RUCNCIS/CIS COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHXD/MOSCOW POLITICAL COLLECTIVE PRIORITY

UNCLAS MOSCOW 003386 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV RS GG PL
SUBJECT: GOR DENIES INVOLVEMENT IN GEORGIAN/POLISH 
MOTORCADE SHOOTING 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The GOR has rejected allegations of 
Russian involvement in the November 23 shooting at the 
Georgian-Polish presidential motorcade.  In reaction to the 
incident that garnered little attention in the Russian media, 
the MFA, MOD and security services unanimously called the 
incident a Georgian provocation.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) The GOR rejected allegations of Russian involvement 
in the November 23 shooting at Georgian and Polish Presidents 
Mikhail Saakashvili's and Lech Kaczynski's motorcade as it 
headed for a refugee camp near the South Ossetian border, and 
turned the table by painting the GOG as the responsible 
party.  FM Lavrov called the incident a "purely provocative 
act," claiming the Georgian side organized everything itself, 
in order to afterward hold responsible South Ossetia or 
Russia.  Lavrov asserted that no gunshots were made from 
Russian or South Ossetian positions.  DFM Karasin accused 
Georgia of "indulging in wishful thinking" in that regard.  A 
Russian MOD spokesman similarly declared that Russian 
military in South Ossetia -- at the Russian base or at 
checkpoints -- did not open fire, and also accused Georgia of 
provocation.  An unnamed source in the Russian special 
services chimed in to call the incident a Georgian 
provocation and told Interfax Saakashvili was "repeating 
himself," as the Georgian president during a recent visit to 
the town of Gori had been forced to flee from a "nonexistent" 
air attack. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) In Russian media, the incident has been a 
non-event.  Both the press and television have paid scant 
attention to the reports, with newsru.com, an internet news 
site with good coverage of the Caucasus, referring to Polish 
sources to provide details of the incident. 
BEYRLE